NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

The state Parole Board has denied David Dart’s application to be released from prison, he has served over 24 years in jail for the 1989 stabbing death of Gillian Gibbons in her car in the Oneonta municipal garage. Dart was convicted in Otsego county court and has been serving out that sentence in a downstate prison. This was Dart’s first attempt at parole.

————————————

Sidney village police arrested 19-year-old Austin Demuth of Afton on 3 counts of grand larceny, 17 counts of petty larceny and 5 counts attempted petty larceny. The arrests followed an investigation of larcenies from unlocked vehicles in the Bird Avenue and Circle Drive area on December 4th. More arrests are expected, as similar crimes have been committed in Sidney center, Bainbridge, Greene & Cooperstown. Demuth was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $5,000 bail pending court action on February 13th. Police urge residents to lock up their homes & vehicles to prevent such crimes.

————————————-

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce will host a meeting tonight at the Highway 7 Bar & Grill at 7:00 pm, to discuss the future of the Canoe Regatta. Bainbridge Chamber President John Payne told WCDO News that they will need a new chairman after this year’s regatta, and they are battling the misconception in the region that this is a Bainbridge only event:

(John Payne 2-4-14)

Payne said that they need a lot of volunteers for this year’s regatta and & a new chairperson to take over for John Harmon, who will not continue in that capacity beyond this May. More information will be available at tonight’s meeting, which is open to the public; information is also available at the chamber office at 967-8700.

——————————

State Budget hearings are being conducted in Albany currently, this week; area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch questioned Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah on the staffing shortage at the Oxford Veterans home:

(Crouch Shah 2-4-14)

Dr. Shah also stated that there is no timetable for his department to finish up their study of possible health effects from Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas, the state has had a moratorium in place since 2008 on gas drilling.

——————————————-

The state’s new I-STOP program has cut “doctor shopping” by 75% according to state health department officials. The I-STOP program started in August, where Doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are now required file prescriptions to pharmacies by the Internet, and to check the database before prescribing painkillers. Pharmacists are responsible for recording related prescriptions; the law is designed to help practitioners review patient drug histories through the health department’s online registry.

————————————–

Republicans in the state senate filed a bill to move New York’s primary day to late August, arguing the current September date for state offices is too late, to comply with a federal law, that requires ballots for military and overseas voters to be sent out at least 45 days before the general election. Assembly Democrats passed a bill last month to move state primaries to the 4th Tuesday in June, coinciding with New York’s federal primary date. If lawmakers fail to agree on a primary date, municipalities will hold a primary for federal offices in June and a separate primary for state offices in September

—————————–

Membership in the National Rifle Association has increased in New York since the state’s New York SAFE Act went into effect 1 year ago. . The number of people who enrolled nearly doubled last year, New York previously ranked 3rd in NRA membership behind Texas and California, New York now has the most NRA members.

————————————-

NYSEG officials announced today that they are aware of fraudulent activities where customers are contacted by email, phone or in person and asked to pay current or past due charges, the payment ends up with scammers, and not NYSEG. Officials said that NYSEG will not call customers for payment if an account is in good standing; customers are urged to contact the company and sign up for their “AutoPay” service. At NYSEG.com. Customers, who believe they have been scammed, should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov and their local police.